Double valve for accordions and like musical instruments



Jan. 11, 1949. R. SEYBOLD 2,453,553

DOUBLE VALVE FOR ACCORDIONS AND LIKE M'USICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed May 9. 1938 F1975 A Jaye/710x? Patented Jan. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Rene Seybold, Strasbourg-Meinau, France Application May 9, 1938, Serial No. 206,851 In France May 8, 1937 Section 3, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 8, 1957 (Granted under the provisions of sec. 14, act of March 2, 1927; 357 0. G.

2 Claims.

A main factor of musical rendering as seen from the mechanical side is the playing means of a key instrument. The playing of an accordion leaves much to be resired in this respect since the valves (flaps) in conjunction with the keys only allow of an absolute opening or closing of the sound holes in the resonance base. The result of this is that, on opening the Valve, the sound immediately comes into contact with the atmosphere whilst, on closing the valve, the sound is instantaneously interrupted; the musical renderin is in this way rendered difficult and the sound formation and articulation are made unnatural.

According to the invention, in order to improve the playing, two valves are employed which at the same time as they are opened relieve the excess pressure between the playing blast and the atmosphere before the sound holes are complete- 1y open. On closing the two valves, they act in the reverse order. In this way, the choppingoff of the sound and, at the same time, the noise of closing the valve are avoided.

The drawings show two embodiments of the double valve according to the invention in section.

Fig. 1 shows the first embodiment of the double valve in closed position.

Fig. 2 shows the half-open and Fig. 3 the open position.

Fig. 4 shows the second embodiment of the double valve.

Fig. 5 shows in section the trebble portion of an accordion and a part of the playing blast fixed thereon, double valves according to the invention being mounted therein.

As may be seen, the double valve consists of a bottom part I and a top part 2. The bottom part is provided with a smaller opening 3 than the sound openings 4 in the resonance base 5 itself and is covered on its bottom side with leather. The top part 2 is solid and is likewise covered with leather on its bottom side. Between the two parts, there is inserted a spring 6 which tends to keep the two parts apart. At the rear end, the two parts are movably connected with each other whilst, at the front end, the distance between the two parts is limited for example by means of a band I. a set-screw 8 (Fig. 4) or the like.

The double action of a valve takes place as follows:

On slowly depressing the key, the bottom valve part i is lifted at the back from the resonance base 5 and the top valve part 2 is at the same time lifted in front from the bottom part I. It is only then that the complete lifting of the bottom part takes place, which bottom part sets itself substantially parallel to the resonance base 5 (Fig. 3). On closing the flap, the movement takes place in the reverse order.

I claim:

1. In a valve construction for accordions or like musical instruments, two superposed valves for every sound opening in the resonance base, the lower one being provided opposite the sound opening with an opening which is smaller than said sound opening and the upper one being plain, means for connecting both valves at their rear ends by articulation, means for limiting the mutual discarding of the valves at the front ends, a spring tending to keep both valves apart, and means for actuating the upper valve.

2. In a valve construction for accordions or like musical instruments, two superposed valve flaps for every sound opening in the resonance base, the lower one being provided opposite the sound. opening with an opening which is smaller than said sound opening and the upper one being plain, means for connecting both valve flaps at their rear ends by articulation, adjustable means for limiting the mutual discarding of the valve flaps at the front ends, a spring tending to keep both valve flaps apart, and means for actuating the upper valve flap.

RENE SEYBOL'D.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 66,598 Germany Feb. 6, 1893, 365,648 Germany Dec. 19, 1922 

